Ottomar meinel



'(No Model!) 0. MEINEL. HARMONICA.

No. 483,160 Patented Sept. 27, 1892 fi-E-E ErBfiErE sjz WITNESSES: W ma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTOMAR MEINEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HARMONICA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,160, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed January 19, 1892. Serial No. 418,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTOMAR ME1NEL,a citizen of the German Empire, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, more particularly des ignated as mouth-harmonicas.

The objects of my improvements are to provide a non-absorbent surface that comes in contact with the lips, which permits more perfect manipulation, producingclearer tones, and which is more cleanly than wood or metal.

Figure 1 is a top View of a cover for a mouth harmonica; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the cover for a mouth-harmonica; Fig. 3, an end view; Fig. 4, a cross-section; Fig. 5, a sec tion showing a mouthpiece with metal sides and ends.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.

The cover A may be made of glass or other material.

In Fig. 2 mouth-harmonica- B, which is inserted from the bottom, is covered on all sides except the bottom.

To secure an air-tight joint between the apertures a a in the cover and the chambers I) in the mouthharmonica, with which the reeds b are connected, an elastic filling O is interposed. Attached to the ends of the instrument may be springs or catches D for holding it in position. A number of variations of construction may here be suggested.

Fig. 5 shows a glass top A, attached to a metal body E, forming a cover similar in shape to that made entirely of glass, but having a wider'base. The cover could be made of separately-molded side pieces a a, divided longitudinally on the line a a Fig. 1. The sides could be united by cement ormetal end pieces. The openings at a could be con tinuous, forming a slot, in which case the wood partitions of the instrument should extend through the slot flush with the glass. The cover could be made with open ends, having continuous sides, top, and bottom, with perforations through the sides to allow the sounds to issue. In this case the instrument could be inserted at either end.

That I claim as my invention is 1. In combination with a mouth-harmon ica, a glass cover forming a mouthpiece and shield within which the harmonica is placed, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a mouth-harmonica having a non-absorbent mouthpiece, of an elastic filling, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a mouth-harmonica having a non-absorbent mouthpiece, of springs or catches, substantially as specified.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th day of January, A. D. 1892.

OT .OMAR MEINEL.

Witnesses:

Jos. JOHNSON, LoUIs BERJA. 

